Jams of the Week: Ibeyi, Ray Blk, SG Lewis and more

This week is all about expressing yourself and not caring what anybody else thinks, as Ray Blk, Ibeyi and Girlhood demonstrate. Elsewhere, there’s jazz from Zara McFarlane, conscious reggae from Kabaka Pyramid, moonlight jazz from Gotts Street Park, and a lush pop zinger from Malika.

And don’t forget to check out our UK Fresh List on Spotify, updated weekly with new music by fledging artists we can’t get enough of, and returning stars.

‘Away Away’ by Ibeyi
French-Cuban twins Lisa and Naomi Diaz gave us a beautiful celebration of their Yoruba culture with their 2015 debut. ‘Away Away’, a song of sisterly excitement and harmony, is the first single to appear from their new album, due later this year on XL Recordings.

‘Doing Me’ by Ray Blk
People are still warming up to south London singer Ray Blk. She’s them yet another reason to seek out her tunes with this all-day anthem for those day’s when fools can’t tell you nothing. You’ll wanna turn this way, way up.

‘Times We Had (feat. Toulouse)’ by SG Lewis
He produced Ray Blk’s killer song ‘Chill Out’, and has remixed the likes of Disclosure and Flume, and the latest track from beatmaker SG Lewis is a technicolour jam to get you pumped for festival season.

‘Can’t Breathe’ by Kabaka Pyramid
Jamaica’s Kabaka Pyramid recently released this conscious reggae tune, produced by Genis Nadal, about surviving in our harsh modern world. It will appear on his forthcoming album, Contraband.

‘Together’ by GirlhoodGirlhood are producer Christian Pinchbeck and vocalist Tessa Cavanna. The duo – whose influences include Barry White and The Fugees – dropped the stylish ‘My Boy’ last autumn. Their latest track is a smooth and cool dance jam for riding around with your windows down.

‘Love in Bad Company’ by Gotts Street Park
There’s hints of BadBadNotGood and Submotion Orchestra to the new track by Leeds collective Gotts Street Park. They caught our attention with their first single, and continue to be one of this year’s most exciting new artists.

‘Run’ by MalikaMalika turned heads last year with her juicy guest vocals on Snakehips’ ‘Falling’. She’s recently dropped her first single, ‘Run’, produced by Bodhi, which shows off her lush timbre. Her first EP, titled Songs About C, is due later this year.